The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-02-17
MINNESOTA NEWS.
The Annual Encampment Of the State Depart.
ment ct st. Paul.

MINNEBOTA u. i. H.
The Annual Encampment Of the State Depart.
ment ct st. Paul.
The seventh annual encampment OF the
Department OF Minnesota, G. A. II. was
held at st. Paul. Nearly oil the officers
were present and representatives from all
the posts. A committee, consisting OF G..
e. Andrews, G. Ives and 8. +. Snider, was
appointed to take steps looking to the in
corporation OF the department under the
laws oil the state. The report OF the
committee appointed at the last encamp.
msnt or the matter OF the soldiers home
was read. The report set forth that the
committee had prepared the bill. intro
duced into the present legislature by Sena-
tor Pope, providing for an appropriation
OF 500, 600 for a home, $4,000 to be
spent Tor grounds. The bill was explained
in detail.
1t was voted that an earnest invitation
be extended to such members OF the legis-
lature rs are members OF the G. 4. r. to
be present and participate in the consid-
GRAFTON Of the matter before the depart
ment. The following committee was
appointed to consider and report on all
resolutions and communications pertain
ing to pensions and bounties:
w. w. Day, L. NJ. LANCE. w. w. Camp
bell, H. A. Castle, J. H. Barrett.
A resolution was passed requesting the
legislature to pass a law making Memorial
day q legal holiday. The assistant adult
ant general was authorized to send the
following telegram to Presidsnt Clevel nd:
The Department OF Minnesota, G. A. R.,
assembly in seventh annual encampment,
unanimously endorses the provisions OF
the dependent soldiers pension bill, under
stood to be in your excellency's hands for
action, and urgently request your favor
able consideration thereof as a measure
of justice most urgently needed.
The reports of the department officers
were then presented, synopsis OF which
follows:
The report OF Department Commander
William Thomas first commended the
unanimity OF feeling displayed on all sides
blythe members OF the encampment in
the state.
Active steps had been taken to bring all the
members into closer harmony. The sum oil
$3.50 had been expended for postage and
travelling expenses, incident to working up
this better order OF things. Jan. 1, 1856.
there were 143 posts in this department,
1876 being reported. Jan. /, 1887 there
were 1873 posts $50 being reported. There
were eight delinquent each year. In $50
fifteen new posts were added. Jan. l, 1886,
the membership in good standing was
6,672:J an 1877, 7,5O5;net gain So. Lost
by death in 1886, 50; reported dropped,
300; suspended, 943. The report OF the
assistant quartern aster general shows
q balance on hand Feb. 8, 1886, So, $751;
SO; present balance :S3,272.93; net in,
crease. $715.34. Amount expended for re.
lief in the past year, So, 124. SO: number OF
comrades relieved, 1875, number OF
other persons, "a; amount contributed to
the Grant monument fund, $S6.75; to
Charleston sufferers by earthquakes, $257.-
So.
Assistant Adjutant Daniel Fiji OF Min.
neapolis gave n report OF the doings OF his
Office, much OF which is found in the com.
mander's report. A complete list OF all the
posts in the state, with the membe ship,
was subjoined to the report. The following
posts were organized during the year:
Gen. Hancock, No. 146, Henderson; Ord,
No. 20, st. Paul; e. S. Frazier, No. lat,
Park Rapids Bircher, No. 14S, st. Paul;
B. F. sweet. No. 149, Heron Lake; d. c.
Ford, No. $50, Mazeppa; George Il. Ad-
ans, No. 151, Eagle Bend; Cassius Fair
child, No. 1852; Dawson: l.. p. Pence, No.
153, Merristown; J. c. Whipple. No. 154,
Montrose Gen. Shields, No. 155, Shake
pee; Col. David Hughes, No. 1856. LANDER
ton; Albert Woodbury., No. 157, Cam
bridge; William r. Baxter, No. 1913, Chas-
ka;-No. 1O8 Renvile.
With the minor changes mentioned the
Pope bill was unanimously endorsed. In
the afternoon there was a large amount OF
routine business transacted and a long
list OF resolutions was adopted. conden-
sation Of the same viii be found below:
THEW pESnT
We tender he artiest thanks to the commit
tee on soldiers home for its efficient labors
in behalf OF the object committed tpits care,
yeiw OF past differences OF opinion as to de-
tails OF legislation required to establish a
soldiers home and to provide for Temporal
ry relief to such ex-soldiers as may not
desire to reside in such home; resolved,
that the compromise bill prepared by the
special committee of the two houses OF the
legislature (Pope's billy be approved and
it's passage urged in substantially the same
form. We gratefully express hearty
appreciation OF the noble, self.sacrificing
work OF the Woman's Relief corps. The
adjutant general is to forward to each
post comm ander OF the department a pa
per setting forth the object Of the relief corps
with orders that it be read before each
post. Voted to appoint a committee OF
three to thoroughly investigate the claims
Of certain Minnesota soldiers as to which
was the first to enlist in the war, and, il
possible, to settle the question forever. Ii
this be possible, to definitely settle who
was the first man to enlist in the Union
army from Minnesota.
Mai. T. NJ. Newson. Albert Scheffer and
IL. McCardy were appointed:
The council OF Administration reported
the amount received for dues SO, 900. aQ.
The report ssd e Assstap
cash on hand Feb. il, $2,557.-
SO; total receipts for the year, $4.-
COL. 40; total Disbursements, So, 1856. IL;
balance on hama at date, 90, 277.93, oil
which 81, $50 is on deposit at 5 per cent in
the Gernania bank. st. Paul. The de-
partment commander elect was directed
to appoint q committee of three to pro.
cure a testimonial for the retiring com.
me nder, and chose Perry StarkWeather,
William Montgomery and w. w. p.
Mcconnell as such committee.
THE OFFICERS ELECT.
The election OF officers was the most i'm.
portant business OF the afternoon. While
the G. A. r. is supposed to be an entirely
on-political organization, yet this does
not prevent any amount Of political wire
pulling on the inside when an election OF
officers is uuder way, and there
was q large amount Of quiet work
dlone in this line: The last OF the
officers were not chosen until nearly {
o'clock in the evening, after which the
leading ones were installed. The list Of
pfiicers-elect ior the ensuing year is as
follows:
Commander, L. L. Whcclock, Owatonna;
senior vice commander, Z. r. Jefferaon.
Duluth; junior vice commanders. James
Eye, Minneapolis; medical director.
D. p. Kennedy, Litchfield; chaplain,
w. E. Stanley, Austin; council OF
administration. Thomas Montgomery, l..
g. Nelson. Perry Starkweathc r. G. Liv-
ingstone, J. NJ. d. Croft; delegates to the
national encampment. James II. Drake
tat large), Joseph Bobleter, L. A. Han
cock, George B. Arnold. A. Barto, N. II.
Sessions, Samuel Bloomer, A. H. Fitch,
alternates, T.. NJ. Pope tat large, G. H.
Robinson, r. s. Davidson. w. F. Suther.
land, c. Fl. Graves, +. R. Perkins, Daniel
Fish, Charles j. Steens.
After prolonged discussion it was re-
solved to meet next year in Minneapolis,
and to hold tAensomi-annual aummser on.
campment: ~ Sauk Center. ! 10 had beer
decided toi have a banquet in the evening
in Marked hall but this was fhAliy phst
pone9. The department adjoufncH sine
die about O'Clock In the evening.